Inverness, Scotland – September 5, 2008 – The highlight of the second day of the Northern Meeting is the Clasp competition, considered by most to be the pinnacle award in solo piping, which Greg Wilson of New Zealand won for the third time in his career.

* beside a tune indicates a crunluath a mach variation is compulsory. The winner receives the First Prize, the Louis MacKinnon Challenge Cup and a Clasp for the Gold Medal. The competition is confined to winners of the Society’s Gold Medal. Competitors are to submit 4 tunes chosen from the list of 8 Clasp tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. There must be a minimum of 3 competitors or the event will not be held.

Gold Medal Competition

*The MacKay’s Banner – PS Bk 7

Nameless (Hiharin dro o dro) – PS Bk 4

Glengarry’s March – PS Bk 2

The Kings Taxes – PS Bk 5

*The Pipers Warning to His Master – PS Bk 12

Tulloch Ard – PS Bk 6

*The Gathering of Clan Chattan – PS Bk 2

Lament for Captain MacDougall – PS Bk 6

* beside a tune indicates a crunluath a mach variation is compulsory. The winner receives the First Prize, The Highland Society of London Trophy for one year, and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc Gold Medal. Former winners are not eligible to compete. Competitors are to submit 3 tunes chosen from the list of 8 Gold Medal tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. Entry to the Gold Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Gold Medal event and who are:

Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘A’ Grade, or

Pipers with a CPA(NZ) ‘A’ Grade for Piobaireachd, or

Pipers who have been awarded a prize (other than first prize) in a previous Comunn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal competition since 1990, or

Pipers who have previously won the Comunn na Piobaireachd Silver Medal competition.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

Silver Medal Competition

Lament for Alasdair Dearg Macdonell of Glengarry – PS Bk 14

The Little Spree – PS Bk 7

Cabar Feidh Gu Brath – MC

The Massacre of Glencoe – PS Bk 6

A Flame of Wrath for Patrick Coagach – PS Bk 5

The Munro’s Salute – PS Bk 11

The winner receives the First Prize and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc Silver Medal.

Former winners are not eligible to compete. Competitors are to submit 3 tunes chosen from the list of 6 Silver Medal tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. Entry to the Silver Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Silver Medal event and who are:

Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘B’ Grade or lower, or

Pipers with a CPA(NZ) ‘B’ Grade for Piobaireachd or lower.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection
MC = Music will be available online or from Secretary of the Music Committee

Greg Wilson, the secretary of the CNP Music Committee, today announced half of the 2009 tunes. The remaining tunes are to be drawn from the Scottish list, which has not been released yet. Once the Piobaireachd Society (Scotland) announce their list the CNP Music Committee will select the remaining tunes to be included on the NZ list.

2009 Clasp Competition

The Sisters Lament – PS Bk 4.

The Big Spree – PS Bk 1.

Lament for Captain Donald MacKenzie – PS Bk 15.

*The Unjust Incarceration – PS Bk 2.

Four tunes to follow.

* beside a tune indicates a crunluath a mach variation is compulsory.The winner receives the First Prize, the Louis MacKinnon Challenge Cup and a Clasp for the Gold Medal. The competition is confined to winners of the Society’s Gold Medal. Competitors are to submit 4 tunes chosen from the list of 8 Clasp tunes above, one of which they will be required to play.There must be a minimum of 3 competitors or the event will not be held.

2009 Gold Medal Competition

*The MacKay’s Banner – PS Bk 7.

Nameless (Hiharin dro o dro) – PS Bk 4.

Glengarry’s March – PS Bk 2.

The Kings Taxes – PS Bk 5.

Four tunes to follow when Scottish Lists announced.

* beside a tune indicates a crunluath a mach variation is compulsory. The winner receives the First Prize, The Highland Society of London Trophy for one year, and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc Gold Medal. Former winners are not eligible to compete. Competitors are to submit 3 tunes chosen from the list of 8 Gold Medal tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. Entry to the Gold Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Gold Medal event and who are:

Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘A’ Grade; or

Pipers with a CPA(NZ) ‘A’ Grade for Piobaireachd; or

Pipers who have been awarded a prize (other than first prize) in a previous Comunn na Piobaireachd Gold Medal competition since 1990; or

Pipers who have previously won the Comunn na Piobaireachd Silver Medal competition.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

2009 Silver Medal Competition

Lament for Alasdair Dearg Macdonell of Glengarry -PS Bk 14.

The Little Spree -PS Bk 7.

Cabar Feidh Gu Brath MC.

The Massacre of Glencoe – PS Bk 6.

A Flame of Wrath for Patrick Coagach – PS Bk 5.

The Munro’s Salute – PS Bk 11.

The winner receives the First Prize and the Comunn na Piobaireachd (New Zealand) Inc Silver Medal. Former winners are not eligible to compete. Competitors are to submit 3 tunes chosen from the list of 6 Silver Medal tunes above, one of which they will be required to play. Entry to the Silver Medal competition is restricted to pipers who have not previously won the Silver Medal event and who are:

Pipers with a P&D Assn ‘B’ Grade or lower; or

Pipers with a CPA(NZ) ‘B’ Grade for Piobaireachd or lower.

No medal will be awarded if the judges are of the opinion that the standard does not warrant the award.

PS = Piobaireachd Society Collection
MC = Music will be available online or from Secretary of the Music Committee.

The 2008 Piobaireachd Seminars will take place during the week after Easter 2008 and will be on the set list tunes for 2009. This will be a residential ‘Master Class’ programme for senior and advanced players in the set tunes for the 2009 CNP Gold Medal and Clasp competitions and in set tunes for the comparable Scottish competitions in August and September 2008. Cost: $300-$350 (approx).

The seminar commences at noon on Monday 24th March and concludes mid afternoon on Thursday 27th March at Makoura Lodge in Apiti. The total cost to you is a heavily subsidised at $350 and includes all meals, accommodation and tuition. We need to finalise numbers so would appreciate if you can confirm your desire to attend. We are currently taking deposits of $100 to secure places. Can you please make your cheques payable to Comunn Na Piobaireachd and post them to Comunn Na Piobaireachd, PO Box 5421, Wellington 6145 (email me if you want to pay the $100 directly into the bank account and I’ll send you the details).

Please let Marion Horsburgh know if you require transport or if you are able to offer to assist with transport to and/or from Apiti.

The annual R U Brown Piobaireachd Society of South Australia competition is on the 4th of May 2008, with a recital to be held the previous night. Both events will be at Scotch College, South Australia, a magnificent venue.

All of the entry details can be found here. The President of the Society, Craig Masson, said today that:

“We have increased the prize money for the minor placings in the open piobaireachd, and there is now prize money right down to 5th place . Additionally, there will now be prize money for each of the two elements in the open light music rather than just for the aggregate of the placings as in the past.”

Closing date for all entries is Friday 12 April 2008, with tunes to be submitted with entry forms.

The following text from the new Piobaireachd Society web site is a well written summation of Piobaireachd, and it’s an example of the content of their fantastic new site. Take a look. You’ll love it and learn something in the process. I did. Top marks to the Piobaireachd Society!

When the Highlands and Islands of Scotland adopted the bagpipe, perhaps some seven or eight hundred years ago, they began to develop the instrument and its music to suit their needs and tastes. What emerged was the instrument we know today and a form of music, piobaireachd, which is unique to the instrument. It is a very stylized form of music. There is freedom in the theme or ground of the piobaireachd to express joy, sadness, or sometimes in the gathering, a peremptory warning or call to arms. Thereafter the theme is repeated and underlined in a series of variations, which usually progress to the crunluath variation where the piper’s fingers give a dazzling technical display of embellishment or gracenotes.